Jason Mraz: "I'm Yours"

I've been wanting to post this song for a really long time, but I've been waiting to find the right one. There are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of live versions of this song on YouTube. But what I love about the song is how delicate it is; the harmonies are gorgeous but light, playful. This song is better when it can be quiet, in a studio, as opposed to on stage in front of thousands of people. And I don't say that often.

This is the song I crank in the car when I'm stuck in traffic and need to lower my blood pressure.

I love that Jason Mraz has sort of forged his own musical path. He's got a little soul, a little funk, a little bubblegum pop, a little reggae, a little rap, a little rock, a little roll, and a lot of acoustic guitar to offer. This song is off his third studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things., which peaked at number 3 on the Billboard charts in 2008.

And then they hit the a cappella just before 3:00 and...I...melt. Even the silly robot dance makes me happy, because it feels like he's just goofing around and having fun. And music is nothing if you're not having fun.

Happy Friday, and have an exceedingly fun Memorial Day weekend!

Alanis Morissette: "All I Really Want"

Alanis Morissette is one of those strange creatures that the music industry could probably live without -- but we'd really be missing something. Jagged Little Pill, her signature album, was released in 1995 and remains the best-selling debut album by a female artist ever. (She'd actually previously recorded two dance-pop albums as a teenager in Canada, but apparently we've glossed over that bit of history.) Her unique twang led her through four more albums, seven Grammys, and 16 Juno Awards (basically Canadian Grammys). She also portrayed God in 1999's Dogma, and as Morgan Freeman can tell you, once you've played God, you never go back.


A note on the video: The two-minute intro drags a bit if you're not on some kind of hallucinogenic, so feel free to skip it. Also check out YouTube user ricardodinissantos for 12 other songs from this show, as well as dozens more live Alanis videos. He's quite thorough.

Haley Reinhart: "Bennie and the Jets"

So I know I just did a post on American Idol's most recent talent discovery, Haley Reinhart, but now I can't stop YouTubing her performances. With each video I'm more convinced that American Idol voters are just plain stupid for voting her off. Though I guess I would have to vote to earn the privilege of complaining about the result. But I mean -- good lord, this girl is so talented.

I love Haley's cover of this song (originally released by Elton John in 1974) partly because it's gritty and kind of raunchy and totally convincing, and partly because it reminds me of this scene from the beloved romcom 27 Dresses. I spent one winter break in college watching and rewinding and rewatching this movie for like nine days straight. Yes, I'm a sucker.

Oh James Marsden and Katherine Heigl, you jokesters! But seriously, that looks fun.

Proclaimers: "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"

What's better than Scottish identical twins professing their undying love in song? They're gonna walk 500 miles, drunk, lonely, broke -- whatever it takes, as long as they get to fall down at your door.

Aww, you guys, that's sweet. And the chorus of "DAH DAH DAH DAH" is the apex of drunken, western European call-backs. Enjoy.

(Factoids: Song released in 1988. Still the biggest song by the Proclaimers.)

Pearl Jam: "Why Go"

It finally feels like summer in Chicago! Which means we're entering the season of music festivals, Sunday afternoon sports and drinking, and the drafting of a summer bucket list. This will be the summer I discover a love for camping, for instance. I figure if I say it enough, it'll come true, even though I don't own a tent or any supplies per se. Minor obstacles.

Anyway Pearl Jam is, to me, a summer band. You can't properly listen to Pearl Jam unless you're outdoors, slightly inebriated, and wearing loose-fitting hippie clothes, like ponchos and ankle bells. (Anything more and you'd overheat.) I wish you a summer full of such experiences and invite you to kick it off with a classic off the 1991 album Ten. Oh my God it's been 20 years. Enjoy.

Aretha Franklin: "I Never Loved a Man"

I don't usually blog on weekends. Which is silly, because I absolutely love writing and this blog and my other one are so much fun to work on. Thank you, by the way, for reading; it means the world to me to believe for even a second that someone else appreciates the thoughts and occasional witticisms that make their way from my brain to my keyboard. It's validating, and I thank you for giving me the confidence to trek on. But the point is, I don't usually blog on weekends, but I just had to show you guys this.

I've been listening to Aretha Franklin since I was a little girl. I have no idea why -- my parents raised me on a strict diet of Zeppelin and jam rock. Maybe because I liked imitating her singing style, the bluesy rhythms and runs. I still like doing that, actually. So when a karaoke opportunity comes up, and I've had enough to drink to make me completely confident in my uninhibited singing voice, I turn to Aretha. Last night, that meant "I Never Loved a Man," a lesser-known standard than "Respect" but it begins with the lyrics, "You're no good, heartbreaker. You're a liar and you're a cheat." I appreciate that she gets straight to the point. Call him OUT, girl. This is one of my favorite songs to the point that I listen to it on the treadmill and breathlessly attempt to sing along because I just. can't. help myself.

She's just so natural and unbelievably accurate. In my head, I sound like this when I sing karaoke. In reality, I would never, ever want to see a video of myself singing karaoke. (And if any of my friends reading have such videos, I know where you sleep.)

Thanks for the memories (or lack thereof), Aretha. Enjoy.

Haley Reinhart: "What Is & What Should Never Be"

I have not been watching American Idol. The last time I watched American Idol religiously, a cute but powerful thing named Kelly Clarkson won. I struggled through season two, never really caring too much about anyone in particular; tried out for season seven (but didn't meet Randy or Simon or Paula, what a tease); and haven't thought much of it since.

I have a lot of respect for the talent that has come out of American Idol. Carrie Underwood has already been celebrated on this blog, and Jennifer Hudson's got some serious skills. But the show itself feels like a factory, churning out trendy, poppy artists that seem to grip the 12-to-22-year-old market for a few months and then drop off the face of the earth. (Hi, Clay!) That's fine, because at least they can sing a bit, so even if they inevitably become one-hit wonders, it's all better than...people who can't sing who make music anyway.

So last night we had a wonderful roomie dinner -- both of them are moving out on me this summer SADFACE -- and we turned on Idol because Brittan watches it. Stuffed full of grilled summer splendor, we settled in to pass judgment on the final three contestants of season ten. Little Scotty McCreery crooned a guttural country song, and he did it well because that's what he does. Lauren Alaina sang...I don't remember what Lauren Alaina sang, but that go-go-inspired top with the white cowboy boots was at once distressing and fearless. She did fine, but her voice doesn't really push to the limit. It's too safe.

Then Haley Reinhart slithered onto the stage, lingering over the first few notes of Led Zeppelin's "What Is & What Should Never Be." Oh. My. God. This girl has a voice I've never heard before. There are foreshadows of it in Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks and Alanis Morissette and even Adele. She's what I imagine when I use the words "raw talent." Her voice is throaty and gritty and effortless and perfectly pitched and absolutely beautiful.

And then, after FALLING ON STAGE (talk about embarrassing), she rips out with this scat singing while her father shreds the guitar on stage next to her. That had to be one of the best moments of her life. This performance is incredible, and (spoiler) I'm truly in shock that she got voted off. Scotty and Lauren, sorry kids, but you are not going to have the career of Ms. Reinhart.

I hope she gets a good agent and becomes the first Idol contestant since Kelly whose debut album I've bought. Enjoy.

Nikki Yanofsky: "Lullaby of Birdland"

This girl is captivating. She's only 17 years old and she sings like she's been listening to Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Etta James, and Louis Armstrong since the womb. Her affectation and ornamentation are just perfect. Her voice is simply beyond her years. For all my love for Norah Jones and her queenship over modern jazz, Nikki is perched on the edge of her seat, ready to take over as soon as the mainstream U.S. music audience notices her.

Nikki's career began at age 12, when she sang in the Montreal International Jazz Festival -- the youngest headliner ever. She's Canadian, so she sang at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Two albums released (2008 and 2010), but so far she's getting way less attention in the States than in ol' Canada. I guess the music scene up there is slightly more jazz and talent than gangsta rap and Rebecca Black.

Speaking of Rebecca Black, if she's the sort of young artist the U.S. is producing, and Nikki is what Canada is producing...well, damn it all to hell, I need to learn French and move up-continent.

It's fun to find these in-studio recordings too; they feel so up-close and personal. The song itself was written in 1952 in reference to Charlie "Bird" Parker, and it charted in 1954 thanks to Ella Fitzgerald. Enjoy.

Red Hot Chili Peppers: "Under the Bridge"

"I don't ever want to feel / Like I did that day // Take me to the place I love / Take me all the way."

This song is about loneliness and finding companionship in the form of a city -- in this case, LA. Ironically, a song about isolation ensured that the Red Hot Chili Peppers would never be lonely again (or at least that they'd always be surrounded by people). A single off the band's fifth album, "Under the Bridge" was released in 1992 and exploded upon impact. Mainstream music audience, meet the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Red Hot Chili Peppers, mainstream music audience. Play nice.

That album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, is still the group's most successful. "Give It Away," "Suck My Kiss," and "Breaking the Girl" are well-known tracks, but "Under the Bridge" is still the winner in recognition. Guess there are a lot of lonely people out there. "I gave my life away," sings Anthony Kiedis. Is there any thought more depressing?

Make your Wednesday a day worth remembering. But first, enjoy this awesome song, recorded in 2003 in front of a huge audience in Ireland.

James Brown: "It's a Man's Man's Man's World"

James Brown. Legend.

This song. Also legend. Recorded in 1966, it is one of the most openly chauvinistic songs since Ludvig van Beethoven's "I Got My Bitches on Lock." It was co-written by this woman, who dated Brown in the '60s and inserted lines about how all the many achievements of man would be "nothing without a woman or a girl." (But, you know, men did pretty much invent everything worthwhile.) It's the only song she's attributed with as a writer, but it's at #123 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time." Not a bad legacy.

This version was recorded in 1981, at a concert that apparently also included "the hardest-working woman in show business," Janis Joplin. (Don't get too excited -- she doesn't make an appearance in this video. Gotta love the pairing though.) Enjoy.

Paul McCartney: "Good Day Sunshine"

It's a BEAUTIFUL day (despite the 50-degree temperature...damn you, climate change or weather gods or whoever's been screwing with Chicago all spring). I'm surprised it's taken me this long to get some Beatles up here. This is the earliest version I could find live that didn't have horrible sound, so Paul's gonna pull the weight for all the boys this morning. Have a fantastic week, and don't fear, Chicago - we'll be back into the 70's by this weekend. Enjoy.

Black Keys: "Your Touch"

The test for good music: When you listen to it all by yourself, does it make you head-bang and dance around your room? Does it make you feel cool, because you're listening to it and it's awesome, thereby making you awesome? You've found good music.

Enjoy some really good music.

Keller Williams: "Restraint"

Keller Williams is an insanely good guitar player. I love watching this video because it's like he's just chilling on a tree, messing around on the guitar, no big deal, but OH MY GOD he's so talented. Looking forward to seeing him again next time he's in Chicago. Maybe I could arrange a meet-up near a body of water and recreate this video. Just a thought. Enjoy.

P.S. This is a bonus Saturday post because Blogger went batshit yesterday and wouldn't let me post anything. In case you were confused and wondering.

Norah Jones: "What Am I to You?"

If I could trade lives/bodies/talents with anyone in the world, Norah Jones is definitely a finalist. She's just effortless -- she released four albums between 2002 and 2009 that achieved the ridiculous: Every single track is a masterpiece. She's hands-down the best modern jazz singer out there, and with nine Grammys to show for it.

Guys, if you want to induce a relaxed, come-hither evening, just put on some Norah Jones. Works every time. Enjoy.

Led Zeppelin: "Going to California"

Apologies for not posting yesterday. How about some killer-quality, true classic rock to make up for it? Enjoy.

Tyranny of Dave: "Roman Road"

I'm being lazy today (and shamelessly self-promotional). I give you a song from my own band's live show last night in Andersonville. The very beginning is cut off, and there's a disproportionate amount of me, but otherwise the sound is pretty good.

To hear more songs by my band and to download free tracks -- all of which were recorded long before I joined -- visit the Tyranny of Dave bandcamp page. Also "like" us on Facebook.

I love how laid-back this song is. It took me forever to learn the little melody at the end because I kept wanting to turn it into the "Don't Worry, Be Happy" tune. Enjoy.

"Roman Road," performed by Tyranny of Dave.
Original on Tyranny of Dave's "Vacations" (2007).

Arctic Monkeys: "Fake Tales of San Fransicso"

This song reminds me of spring, probably because the first time I heard it I was walking down the street in Evanston and the sun was shining and the flowers were blooming and the birds were chirping. Not that I could hear them, because I had this blasting in my ear. I do that with songs; I associate them with a place or a person or a feeling and they'll forever remind me of that, even if the song itself has nothing to do with spring or that person or whatever. It's one of the reasons music is so powerful, that muscle memory.

This song, the beat and lick are so simple, but the song burrows into your head. Listen to this three times and it'll be there forever. And I maintain that anything sang in a British accent -- especially by Alex Turner -- is undeniably sexy and attractive. Enjoy.

"Fake Tales of San Fransisco," performed by the Arctic Monkeys
Original on the Arctic Monkeys' "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" (2006)

John Legend: "Used to Love U"

Maybe it's cliche at this point, but that doesn't mean it's not true: John Legend makes women melt. Specifically me. Even when he's singing about wanting to cheat or not loving me anymore, he's still seducing me. It's kind of bass-ackwards but I'll be damned if it doesn't work every time.

Four albums -- one of them with the Roots, who will be featured in this blog in the near future -- and the man is basically unstoppable. He's best known for "Ordinary People," from his first album in 2004, but in my opinion that's probably his weakest song. (Or maybe, per usual, I'm disenchanted by radio overplay.)

Legend is a musician's musician; he collaborates with everyone. (No wonder his debut album grabbed three Grammys.) He's a genre-specific chameleon -- R&B, soul, hip-hop, old school rap, pop -- and has worked with Kanye West (whose label released all four of Legend's albums), Alicia Keys, and Stevie Wonder, among many others.

His voice is silk, and I could listen to him pound a piano any day. I'm even willing to forgive the contraction* of "you" to "u," just this once. (But please don't make that a habit, John.) Enjoy.

"Used to Love U," performed by John Legend
Original on Legend's "Get Lifted" (2004).

* Special shout-out to my friend Katie Blaisdell for figuring out that this is a logogram, not a contraction.

Weezer: "Kids / Poker Face"

I love covers. They give artists a chance to play around with music, and it gives listeners a chance to gauge the performance compared to something they're already familiar with. In this video, Weezer covers MGMT's "Kids" and Lady Gaga's "Poker Face." Even though the original versions of both songs have been completely exhausted by radio play, Weezer's cover feels fresh and light-hearted, especially as they blend the two songs together.

And I want to know where Rivers Cuomo buys his pants.

Enjoy.

"Kids" and "Poker Face," performed by Weezer
"Kids" originally on MGMT's "Oracular Spectacular" (2008)
"Poker Face" originally on Lady Gaga's "Fame" (2008)

Josh Kelley: "Georgia Clay"

Fellow music lovers,

I'm quite partial to music with a good melody that I can sing along to, especially when driving in my car with the windows down and the sun shining. We Chicagoans are being treated to such lovely weather today that it lends to an intense craving for this type of enjoyment.

Also, since I grew up listening to country music, I get all nostalgic and fuzzy inside when I hear a little bit of twang... Just a little twang. So, daijam readers, let me introduce "Georgia Clay" as the perfect conglomerate of a sing-along, melodic, slightly twangy form of musical indulgence.

'Til next Tuesday:

"Georgia Clay," performed by Josh Kelley
Original on Kelley's "Georgia Clay" (2011).

This post was written by Brittan Wood.

Black Keys: "Girl is On My Mind"

I've listened to this blues-rock duo for approximately 3.4 hours per day for the past two months. The Black Keys have been my soundtrack for commuting, homework, cooking -- I even took a nap with Thickfreakness on in the background. And for good reason -- these guys are AWESOME. (Though perhaps not soothing, but I'm weird.)

There's something to be said for simplicity. The Black Keys are drummer Patrick Carney and guitarist/singer Dan Auerbach. They formed in 2001 at the mutual age of 21 and started playing blues rock around their hometown of Akron, Ohio. They have since released six studio albums; last year they won three Grammys. They've got a song on the radio right now that is catchy as hell. (And the music video is incredibly entertaining. I want them to make that movie.) So basically they're on top of the world, and I want to be them, or at least hang out with them, and maybe sing some backgrounds, or just bring them lemonade or hot towels or something. Is there a groupie application somewhere?

Strangely, they seem to be better in the studio than live -- or at least, the general quality of what's available on YouTube isn't great, though I saw them at Lollapalooza in 2007 and was riveted.

Fun fact: Their second album,Thickfreakness (2003), was recorded in Carney's basement in 14 hours. That album, along with Rubber Factory, which came out the following year, propelled the band out of Akron and...well, it doesn't really matter where, because they weren't in Akron anymore, thank God.

This song is off Rubber Factory and was used in a commercial for a camera or a phone or something, so you may recognize it. This recording unfortunately cuts off as Auerbach is still plucking the strings, but otherwise the sound is crystal. I cannot get the gritty guitar line out of my head. It's raw. Enjoy.

"Girl is On My Mind," performed by the Black Keys.
Original on the Black Keys' "Rubber Factory" (2004).